Diocese begins yearlong Devotion for Vocations

The Cathedral of the Madeleine will host the first Devotion for Vocations.

By Linda Petersen

Intermountain Catholic

SALT LAKE CITY — Those who are seeking to discern if God is calling them to religious life need the support and prayers of all of the faithful around them. Understanding this, the Diocese of Salt Lake City is sponsoring a 40-hour Devotion for Vocations in all its parishes and missions over the coming liturgical year.

Each parish and mission will have a special 40-hour period of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition with a special emphasis for vocations.

“Any vocation, particularly in the priesthood and religious life, comes from God,” Father Joseph Delka, diocesan vocations director, said. “We are told in the Scriptures to ask the Master of the Harvest to send out workers into his harvest, so we need to approach him in prayer and ask for it.”

In November 2014, under the Most Rev. John C. Wester, ninth Bishop of Salt Lake City and now Archbishop of Sante Fe, the diocese began a year-long devotion for vocations. Last year, the diocese reintroduced the vigil on a limited basis. This year all parishes and missions are being invited to participate and have been assigned a specific week.

This vigil is “part of our effort as a diocese to create a culture of vocations so that people, especially young people, feel comfortable, feel free to ask questions, to find out what God is calling them to do,” Fr. Delka said. “We want to give them the resources and the support they need; sometimes it can be really tricky discerning who God is calling them to be.”

“This is a long-term project, not a one-time thing,” Fr. Delka added. “Discernment is about prayer, coming close to and developing a relationship with our Lord. It’s something that takes time; the seeds we’re planting today might not bear fruits for five or 10 years or more. It needs a consistent effort between the clergy and the laity.”

The Cathedral of the Madeleine will be the first parish to host the devotion. It will have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Dec. 2-6, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish will have its vocations devotion the week of Dec. 8-14, followed by Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Magna, Dec. 15-21. The devotion will resume after Christmas, on Jan. 5-12 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Salt Lake City.

The Diocese of Salt Lake City has 10 seminarians studying for the priesthood, the highest number in recent years, according to Fr. Delka.

To learn when the 40-hour Devotion for Vocations is scheduled at your parish, check with your parish office. The Intermountain Catholic will run the scheduled dates in the Around the Diocese section.